Chapter 8: Into the Darkness
Ouka
“…SO? Why are you with this cute girl, Ouka?” Miles asked, looking at Erie seated next to Ouka at the bar counter.
Ouka had hidden Dram in the sea as he was nearing his time limit, and then somehow shook the Rabbis off his trail before taking refuge in PUB Nest of Love. The crowded pub was the perfect hiding place.
Erie seemed flustered and nervous, but Ouka didn’t pay any mind to her. “To tell you the truth, Miles, we’re wanted by the Church. Seems like this girl and I are suspects,” he answered honestly.
“HUH?! What in Heaven’s name did you do?!”
“It’s a long story, so I’ll fill you in some other time. Just to be clear, we’re innocent. INNOCENT.” Ouka chugged the glass of peppermint water Miles put out for him and then faced Erie. “Okay, I haven’t introduced myself properly yet, have I? I’m the Golem Artificer Ouka Baraki. This here’s the pub owner Miles. We’re not your enemies, right now.”
Erie gave Ouka a suspicious look. He went on, “How ‘bout we take advantage of this good opportunity and exchange information? Seems we’re after the same person—that bastard Jair.”
“…What reason do you have to go after Jair?”
“I’ve got history with that thing. With that black cube he’s using.”
“You lost your mind when you saw it the day before yesterday too… What’s the deal with it?”
“I was researchin’ that cube at the Torah Church up until four years ago. Together with Kiriko, who you’ve just had the misfortune of meeting, and a man named Alita. We were conducting research under our boss, Spinoza.”
“Why were you researching it?”
“We were trying to manufacture the most powerful militarized Golem possible using the cubes. It was called Project Sephiroth.” Referring to the unspeakable and reprehensible project by name sent the horrible memories churning within Ouka. “And we created those black cubes as a part of the overall research plan.”
Erie’s eyes slowly grew wider as she stared at Ouka like she didn’t believe him. “Did you just say what I think you did…? Aren’t those cubes irreplaceable items with only a handful in existence?”
“The originals are. But the black cubes Jair uses are different. They’re the imitations we created by tryin’ to copy the red cubes.”
“Imitations?”
“If memory serves me right, the Church’s only got four of the invaluable Sehem-hamphorasch. That’s far too few for conducting proper research. So, we created imitation cubes using the same mineral ore. They couldn’t even compare to the originals though.”
“How are they different?”
“Well, Jair’s Golems come to life just by burying the cube in the ground, but don’t ya think they move weirdly slow and sluggish? That’s a side effect of the imitation cube. Golems brought to life by the true Sehem-hamphorasch are much stronger and far smarter.”
Erie nodded, seriously listening to him now. Ouka thrust a finger at her nose and added, “But the true difference lies beyond those aspects. The original has a shell.”
“A shell? Are you talking about the red shell around Lovel’s cube?”
“Yup, a shell. The originals have a red shell exterior with the cube inside. You’re supposed to write the Restrictor into that external casing.”
That baffled Erie. “I don’t really get it…” she mumbled. “Is it that important to be able to engrave a Restrictor?”
“No ifs, ands, or buts about it; it’s necessary. We can only control the Golems powered by the cubes through the Restrictors engraved into their shells. Otherwise, there’s nothing to say, ‘don’t kill humans,’” Ouka answered gravely.
Erie turned over what he said in her mind before asking, “Do you mean to say that without a Restrictor in place, a Golem with a cube embedded will be the same as a Berserker Golem?”
“Bingo. That’s what gives cube powered Golems the same immense strength as a Berserker Golem from the get-go. How you use them from there, though, becomes the problem.”
Normal usage wouldn’t have posed a problem. The Church, however, got the idea to make a weapon out of the cubes, which had been an impossible endeavor from the start.
“The research ended in decisive failure four years ago. They sealed away the research facility with Sephiroth’s body within, and the cubes vanished into thin air. The cubes and the Golems powered by them should have been nothing but uncontrollable, dangerous weapons.”
“But Jair mastered their use…”
Ouka gave her a firm nod. What Jair did should’ve been impossible. As long as the black cubes had no Restrictors in place, the Golems powered by them were guaranteed to go berserk.
“Who the bloody hell is Jair…?” Ouka muttered. “For that matter, why’s he after you?”
“I don’t know why. He suddenly appeared one night, three days ago.”
“Then where’d you learn about Sehem-hamphorasch? Who told you?”
Erie studied Ouka’s face and held her silence. She pressed her lips tightly together.
“Please tell me, Erie. The information might lead us to Jair. I understand you’d want to protect the informant, but…I just want to hear what they know, too. So please.”
Erie stayed quiet for a long moment. Then she eventually came to a decision and said, “…Doctor Crank Getz told me. He has a clinic on the outskirts of Chest Island.”
“Really? Why does a town doctor know about this stuff?”
“He told me Grinzam was an old friend of his.”
Old friends, huh? I never heard anything ‘bout that. Ouka doubted the information’s validity, but kept it from showing on his face.
“Guess I’ll go hear him out for a bit… Will you come with me, Erie?” Ouka asked as kindly as he could. Erie shook her head nonetheless.
“…I won’t go with you. I want to go rescue Heathy as soon as possible. I don’t have time to take a side trip.”
“You’re going to rescue him from the Torah Church? All alone?”
“How could I not?! He’ll get disposed of as an Illegal Golem if I don’t do something!”
“Take a deep breath and think things through calmly. The Church’s objective isn’t Heath’s destruction—it’s your capture. They’ll likely use him as bait to draw you out… You can pretty much count on ‘em doing nothing to him until they apprehend you.”
Erie gnawed her lower lip.
“The charges against you and me will be lifted if we can capture Jair and bring him to Kiriko. It won’t be too late to drop by the Church after we’ve done that, yeah?”
Erie cast down her eyes, appearing to mull over his proposal. She came to a conclusion and stated, “…But, if there’s even the slightest possibility of them disposing of Heathy, I have to go to him.”
“I understand how you feel… How about this? Why not remotely summon him to you? Like you saw me do with Dram.”
“I can’t. Heathy’s Restrictor is to always be by my side. Being pulled too far apart from each other counts as breaking the Restrictor.”
Ouka grimaced. All of a Golem’s functions were suspended when the Restrictor was broken, and repairing the Restrictor was the only way to reactivate them. That explained why Erie was so desperate to return to Heath.
“Good grief… I’m sure you won’t listen if I try to stop you.”
Erie nodded and readjusted her grip on the knife she had been clenching all this time. It was the very same knife Heath used.
“That knife won’t do ya any good if you’re going to raid the Church. You’ll be caught in a flash, and that’ll be the end of that.”
“This isn’t all I have up my sleeve, obviously. I have a good plan.”
“You have a plan? What is—”
“Shh!” Miles shushed Ouka, a finger pressed to his lips. His eyes were focused outside the window.
“Wh-What’s wrong, Miles?” Ouka whispered.
“The Rabbis are here. Both of you, hide inside the counter!”
Heeding Miles’ advice, Ouka and Erie hopped over the bar counter and crouched behind it. They heard the pub door being thrown open.
“Hello! Your attention please!” a man’s voice boomed through the noisy pub. “Did a man and young girl with an Amber Golem enter this establishment?”
The voice belonged to Torah Officer Seagal. Ouka knew him as a greenhorn Rabbi with an evil-looking face and eviler personality, who had joined the Church just as Ouka quit. Going by the sound of heavy footsteps, he had brought his Golem with him.
Miles answered, “Beats me. I wouldn’t know.”
“Really now? I heard he disappeared around these parts. What do you have to say to that?”
“There are plenty of shops in the neighborhood. Maybe they’re tossing back a few glasses at another bar?”
“Most of the shops are closed.” The footsteps came closer and stopped right before the counter. “I’ll be searching your pub.”
“Have a heart! You’ll be disturbing my customers from enjoying their drink.”
“This is my job.”
“Oh? Ruining the modest time the common people have to unwind is your job? No wonder you’re hated.”
“Watch your tongue if you want to keep it! You’re just a freak tranny who disobeys God’s teachings!” Ouka heard Seagal’s angry voice fill with malice. He was always heavy-handed with everyone who wasn’t a Rabbi.
“Acting all high and mighty in holy clothes is part of God’s teachings?” Miles demurred without losing his cool. “Your Holy Scriptures or whatever sound real worthless.”
“You scumbag! Enough of this nonsense! I’ll be searching your pub, whether you like it or not!”
BANG! Ouka heard what sounded like a chair being kicked over. Startled cries rose from the drinking customers.
“I told you, he ain’t here! Quit making a mess of my shop!” Miles protested.
“Quit? You slum dwellers should just obediently listen to whatever we say! That’s all you’re good for anyway.” Seagal sneered mockingly.
“Slum dwellers…? Don’t get cocky just ‘cause you think you’ve got God’s support, Rabbi SCUM!” Miles’ furious shout shook the pub.
Seagal shut up like a spanked puppy. Piano music was the only sound heard in the pub after that.
Miles launched into a tirade with his throaty voice. “This is MY pub, boy! Only customers get to go wild! If ya still wanna push my patience, I’ll have this guy take you on!”
The piano music that was a constant background sound in the pub abruptly ceased. In its silence came the echoes of heavy pounding. Ouka spied on the scene from the cover of the counter. The Wood Golem who always sat in front of the piano had left his station and lumbered toward the Rabbi.
“Piano Man, throw the Rabbi Scum out, just like the trash he is!”